The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Pro Job

There is no way I would be capable of painting my truck(lack of equipment and skills), so I was hoping someone could give me a rough estimate of what the cost would be to paint the whole truck.

thanks
Nolan

a lot, Panted my Suburban 4 years ago Paint and supplies was around 1k. Thats doing it myself.

Call a local body shop, I'm sure they can give you an idea..

-RT1

It can vary a lot. A good job can vary from $6,000 to $10,000. At least thats what it is in this area. Cecil.........

Holy cow!!! Well that is definitely gonna be the last thing on the to-do list. thanks for the info guys.

Nolan

Oh come on! The total for my paint job came to around $300.00 max. After years of paying "professionals" big bucks to SCREW UP paint and body work, I decided that I could screw it up for a lot cheaper, so I learned some basic skills and over time I have figured it out. If I can do this to my truck, in my front yard, ANYBODY can put a good paint job on their truck, especially if they have a garage. When my car, truck or motorcycle needs paint / body work, I just get out the old (25 years old) Sears compressor and go for it. Screw the professionals. Get a compressor a gun some body filler a sanding block and go to town.

Don't worry, it's only a truck.

[img]http://www.digiflux.biz/truck_web.jpg[/img]

[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0RgDoAr4Ultuo*Q5ALVOQJ!9uVGZfts8c9GEfuaqPcQ59A!6xgmincEZusYkV8T0Ui!7RfDDx9cSZ39SWXUmikSwKqO33IRBiMJlpasr*YXw/Picture%201.jpg?dc=4675530370628856245[/img]

I have painted a few vehicles in my 50+ years from a brush to lacquer and there is no way in hell I would pay 6-10K for a paint job unless it is for a show car. Don't get me wrong it IS worth it if it is in that class of restoration. I've painted cars in booths, garages,driveways and outside..........depends on use. Not trying to argue.......just my opinion

Dan

Thanks for the positive feedback Tab, looks like your prjects turned out great. Did you paint the inside of that stepside as well? If so I'd love to see a pic, I love to see what 60-66 owners do with their interiors. I think you convinced me that a front yard paint job could actually work.

thanks
Nolan

You might want to check your local restrictions if you live in a neighborhood there in Kalifornia. Plus the state may not smile on your doing it yourself. Better to check then to have a constable inform you with a citation.

Nolan,
The killer is the bodywork it is time consuming thus expensive If you have severe rust you are in for it$$$ but if you have just surface rust and dings and dents you can pull it off at a reasonable cost.First get the book "How to Paint Your Car" this will show you basic bodywork.Next you will need a About 500.00 go to Habor Freight get a aircompressor orbital sander and paint gun and rubber sanding blocks.Next stop autobody store get a range of disks to fit your sander from 36 to 220 grit and sandpaper 36 to400 grit some bondo and primer surfacer and you will be on your way.500 might sound like a lot but it wont go very far in a bodyshop.Also I wouldnt try to do the finish paint with this stuff.Try Macco or Earl Shibe.I cant remember the name but we had a fellow bolter do his rig at Earl Shieb a while ago and from the photos he posted it looked very very good. good luck Aaron

The guy I bought the 50 2 ton from has a 40x60 pole building in his yard where he keeps his "toys", and as his wife was in the house looking for the title, he showed me his collection.. from 30's Chevrolet cars to a '54 Chevy pickup (and assorted Dodge and Fords).

At least three of his vehicles he painted in his lawn with rattle can tractor paint, then went over them with some sort of clear coat/gloss.. and made a point of saying, "Here's the paintjob I paid $2,000 for.. and here's the paintjob I paid $150 for"

If you're building a trailer queen and going for the big cash prizes, by all means, get the high dollar paintjob.

But if you're just building a local show, knock around town fun truck.. and you have enough sense to pour water out of a boot with instructions on the heel, then paint it yourself, man and save some buku bucks.

Richeson is right. The body work is the greatest challenge and takes most of the time. The actual act of painting is the fun part.

Trucker: Yes, I painted the interior too but I did so long ago with lacquer. That was a mistake. Gotta sand and repaint.

Being at the whim of every little rain shower ain't no fun. If you have access to a garage, that's the way to go, but you CAN do a nice job in the yard if necessary.

I'm practicing on my golf cart and the 46 1/2 ton is next. Preping seems to be the longest and hardest and will wear the patience a bit. Paint can be a little expensive otherwise I'll try and see how it comes out.
BobT

I knew that no matter how I went around to doing it, it would be a big (probably expensive) project. There are a couple bad rust areas that need to be taken care of, which i guess means more $$$, so after seeing all the equipment I would need to buy & other problems I'd face by doing it myself, I will probably end up getting a pro job. I knew you guys would be able to give me some great info. and tips, thanks for the support.

Nolan

Oh man. Ya wimped out! lol..... Can't say that we didn't try though.

Well I thought you convinced me that I could do it Tab, But then Richeson scared me. . We'll see though, I'll let you guys know what I decide to do and how it works out when the time comes.

Nolan

Nolan

Check your local schools or tech schools. They are another source that sometimes are willing to do your vehicle for cost of materials and are usually done very well. As others have said I'm sure you could do it yourself.........There is a tremendous amount of knowledge here and most are willing to help

Dan

Thanks for the info. chev, I'll definitely check that out and your're right, this site and all the great people here have made all the difference all ready. Thanks you guys.....

Nolan

Nolan,
I didn't mean to scare you.I just wanted to give you What I think are the basics to get started.When I started I had spray cans of primer surfacer sandingblocks and sandpaper and good ol Earl Shieb.I was only 15,since then I have around 50 paint jobs under my belt,and I can say I learnd from all of them.Yes you can pay someone to do it but you cant buy the feeling you get when it is done and you did it!GO FOR IT! Whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck Aaron

You really don't become a TRUE Stovebolter until you beat your truck with a hammer, curse it, beat on it some more, curse it some more, bust yer knuckles, curse again, shoot it with paint, curse some more, then take it down Main Street and watch the heads turn. That's the reward. You don't get that same sense of satisfaction when you take your truck to the body shop.

Yeah, I suppose you guys are right. Whats the point have having a Stovebolt if your not the one doing all the cursing and working, to make that baby shine. I guess if i mess up, I can always sand it down & do whole process over. I would like to know that my baby shines and purrs because of me.


Nolan

Excellent! Always remember. It's only a truck. In all likelihood it will still be here long after we are gone. Some kid who hasn't even been born yet will tearing it up. Do the best that you can but don't sweat it if it's not perfect.